Do you want a portrait painting to just say “Look at Me” or to “Tell a Story”
I basically see two types of portrait painting categories (that’s a Joke, there are a million types).
– The first type is a form of documenting who the person is and what they look like. This is the Queen, or Mom and Dad on the couch, my cute smiling granddaughter, Johnny holding a fish, etc. Don’t get me wrong, these are all great subjects but they don’t necessarily make for compelling painted portraits.
– The second type is to tell a story, a more artistic theme, a painting that anyone would like. Think of the work of the Masters. You don’t know the subject’s name, you just love looking at the painting! And by looking you want to stare and study it. Your eye is led around the painting. This is in contrast to looking at a painting and getting all the info you need in less than 1 minute and your interest moves on! Now, for me, I feel the formula for art is to first find an Interesting Subject, then follow the Classic Rules of Composition.
Interesting portraits tell a story:
Think of GREAT portraits that stand out in your memory. When you looked at them did they say anything to you? Could you write a story about it? You might ask yourself, hmmm what was the person thinking? Or what happens next? Was the person’s expression expressing a mood or just saying “look at me”, “this is what I look like” and nothing more? Most Master paintings are not smiling. (…Masters painted from life and what model could hold a smile for days/months?) Search YouTube for “Batuguereau morphed” There are many YouTubes that feature William Batuguereau’s master portrait paintings.
Many of the graduation photos taken today are interesting and the same go for wedding photos. Although they may be posed, the poses are less rigid and more spontaneous. By not having to worry about the cost of film and development, digital photography has allowed photographers to capture more angles and candid moments and expressions of their subjects. Candid shots are those that capture the essence of the person(s) and ARE the ones that are often most interesting to look at. These are the pictures where the subjects are NOT looking at the camera and make you think: “Hmmm?”. (One thing to note is that these professional photos are often taken with very soft light. This lighting is flattering, but it is a poor reference for painting without side shadows.) For example, look at Danny Santos. His signature poses are a bit boring for a portrait, looking directly into the lens and his lighting is natural soft and flat, but still worth the look to appreciate! At the bottom you will find a link to an interesting article on asking strangers permission. Here is another of Danny Santos where he explains how he photographs strangers.
Tips to improving reference photos.
Todays cell phone cameras are very good and can be used to take excellent reference photos to paint. Even if you love the first type of painting I mentioned there are still tips to follow to improve the person’s image.
- Lighting. Try to capture the essence of the person(s) you are photographing using natural light or side light. In other words… DON’T use the on-camera flash (or try not to), because it creates a flat image that is very difficult to paint. Soft sidelight is preferred to harsh direct sunlight.
- Elements of an interesting reference photo.
Try to avoid ALL shots of your subjects looking directly at the camera. Capture your subject in action doing something. For example, think of children sitting on the floor playing with a toy. Get down to their level and take their pictures without asking the child to look at the camera. And again, use the natural (side) light in the space. Just take the photos and eventually they will get tired looking at you and you can get that natural/candid shot that is the keeper! Other examples include children sitting in a chair, playing, leaning on something, or parents doing something they love, like knitting, reading… While taking photos, move around to capture different angles of your subject.
3. A CLEAN/CLEAR CAMERA LENS!!! If the camera lens or phone’s lens is dirty or full of fingerprints, the photo will look blurry and serve as a poor reference for your painting. ALWAYS CLEAN YOUR LENS!!!
Yuck, Dirty Lens!
Clean Lens!
4. Be aware of Lens Distortion. When you use a compact camera (or phone) and are close to the person, their face can be distorted/bloated (a subtle fish-eye effect called barrel distortion). It can be very subtle. You don’t want to paint from a reference photo that has fish-eye distortion. For distorted image examples, search the web for the words “lens distortion” or “Barrel” or “Pincushion distortion”.
As the portraitist who does not know the subject personally, it is very helpful to have as many photos of the subject as possible. This is why artists love to paint from life. It is important to see the change in expressions. Remember, if you want a copy, just print the photo.
Permission to Paint Photos:
Do you have a great image right now that you would like to paint or have me paint? You need the photographer’s permission to use any photo you did not personally take. This image is owned by the photographer; for example, graduation or formal photos, weddings, portraits, etc. Check with the photographer. These days they may provide this permission with the cost of photography so it may not be an issue. As an artist make sure you have permission!!! One thing to keep in mind is the photographer owns the image but they do not own the pose. You may be able to recreate this amazing pose for your use. Same is true if you find a pose you like on the web, you can pose your subject and the image is yours! (I’m not a lawyer)
There are many rules, laws and opinions to consider such as when, if, and where you can photograph people or children without permission. Again, I’m not a lawyer, but I want to do what’s right within the law. If you are interested, there is a lot of information on copyright to search for on the internet. See my article on Model Releases and Copyright for some key words to search for.
Good luck,
Bill
Photo Tip to improve your look. (PHurley links also on “artistic inspiration”page)
These videos are excellent for posing portrait photography. He has many more on his YouTube page.
“It’s all about the Squinch!” Peter Hurley
This YouTube talks about your eyes and how lightly squinting makes you look better!
“It’s all about the Jaw!” Peter Hurley
This YouTube is about how to position your jaw. Forehead out-Jaw down
Peter Hurley’s web page with amazing examples
Photographymad.com/asking-strangers-to-star-in-your-candid-photos “Be Open About What You’re Doing. (This is a quote from this link. Check it out, there is much more.) The biggest no-no when taking candid photos is to try to hide what you’re doing. If you creep around trying to cover up your camera and take pictures on the sly you’ll just end up looking shifty, making people much more likely to think you’re up to something and confront you. Instead, be bold and confident – you aren’t doing anything wrong, so don’t act like you are. If anyone confronts you, just calmly explain what you’re doing and why. You can even let them see your photos to show you’ve got nothing to hide. “Hi, my name’s Pete and I’m a keen amateur photographer. I love your hair, would you mind if I took a photo of you?” End quote photographymad.com
Last edit: 13 Aug 19, some minor grammar, 7 Dec 18, added second link to D Santos, 17 Aug 18 big rewrite, 7 Sep 16 add Danny Santos link, 16 Aug 16, Included Terry P’s yucky lens, 6 Aug 16 D’s edits